Disposable ostomy pouch with variable means

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a so-called &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;ostomy&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; pouch intended for use by patients who undergo a surgical procedure known as colostomy, ileostomy, ureterostomy, ileal bladder, etc. The invention is characterized by an improved construction capable of low cost of manufacture whereby it is economical for disposal after a single use and is featured by its adaption to varying its positioning on the patient so that it may be used while the patient is in a vertical ambulatory position for walking, running, sitting, or standing, or in bed in a horizontal position. Another feature is a channeled gasket, a supplement which has improved functions in the use of the pouch.

United States Patent [191 Marsan [4 Aug. 6, 1974 [54] DISPOSABLE OSTOMY POUCH WITH Primary Examiner-Aldrich F. Medbery VARIABLE MEANS Attorney, Agent, or Firm.lohn F. McCanna [76] Inventor: Arthur E. Marsan, 6700 Escondido Dr., 4-B, El Paso, Tex. 79912 [57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed: 1973 This invention relates to a so-called ostomy" pouch 2 Appl' 352,5 3 intended for use by patients who undergo a surgical procedure known as colostomy, ileostomy, ureterostomy, ileal bladder, etc. The invention is characterized [52] U.S. Cl. 128/283 by an improved construction capable of low cost of [51] hit. Cl. A6 5/44 manufacture whereby it is economical! f dis 058! 8 F Id 8 h 128 283 294 295 p [5 l 0 care after a single use and is featured by its adaption to varying its positioning on the patient so that it may be [56] References C'ted used while the patient is in a vertical ambulatory posi- UNlTED S TES PATENTS v tion for walking, running, sitting, or standing, or in 2,692,597 10/1954 Carstensen 128/283 bed n a h rizontal position. Another feature is a 2,928,393 3/ 1960 Marsan 128/283 channeled gasket, a supplement which has improved 3,283,757 ll/l966 Nelsen t l28/283 functions in the use of the pouch, 3 6l8,606 l1/l97l Brown et al. 128/283 3 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAUB 6mm 7 DISPOSABLE OSTOMY POUCH WITH VARIABLE MEANS This invention relates to the so-called ostomy field wherein patients who undergo a surgical procedure known as colostomy, ileostomy, ureterostomy, ileal bladder, etc., wear a pouch to receive the fecal discharge from the stoma after the operation. Generally, the patient is unable to control the discharge from the stoma because the discharge can occur at any time of the day or night. Heretofore, it has been customary to provide pouches for the patient to use while in a vertically disposed position for walking, running, sitting, or standing. The average pouch can have only one position on the patient. This is because the pouches all have side belt attachments and they hold the pouch in a fixed position on the patient. Consequently, when a patient goes to bed the fluid contents which collect in the pouch tend to collect in a side portion of the pouch and this results in leakage out of the stoma opening of the pouch and soiling of clothing and bedding.

My invention aims to overcome this objection to prior ostomy pouches.

More particularly, my invention aims to provide a unit of single construction which can be positioned on the patient in a most advantageous position whether the patient is in a vertical or a horizontal position.

Furthermore, I have aimed to provide an ostomy pouch of such improved and low cost construction that it will serve the objects of my invention and the low cost will make it economical for the patient to dispose of the pouch after a single use.

Another object is to provide a channel shaped reinforcing gasket the advantates of which will be described below.

Other objects and attendant advantages will be appreciated by those skilled in this art as the invention becomes better understood by reference to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings which are diagramatic of the principles of my invention, namely: I

FIG. 1 illustrates an ostomy pouch of my invention applied to a patient in a standing position;

FIG. 2 illustrates what happens when the patient is in bed and the liquid discharge from the stoma collects along a side of the pouch instead of entirely at the bottom of the pouch as in the standing position;

FIG. 3 illustrates an adjusted position of the pouch showing the desired position of the pouch in accordance with my invention when the patient is in a reclining position;

FIG. 4 is a face view of what I term a gasket;

FIG. 5 is a section through the gasket on the section line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a face view of a pouch with the gasket attached thereto;

FIG. 7 is a face view of a modified form of gasket which I have termed a channeled gasket;

FIG. 8 is a section on the section line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a diagramatic vertical section through the pouch and gaskets as applied to a patient; and

FIG. 10 is a diagramatic horizontal section generally similar to FIG. 9, primarily intended to show the belt and the belt hooks holding the gaskets and the pouch in position on a patient.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the gasket designated generally by 11 can be die cut from cardboard or any other suitable material sufficiently strong to serve the purposes of my invention. The gasket is preferably circular in form and has a central opening 12 to receive the stoma. The gasket may be precoated with a suitable material to facilitate its attachment to the pouch. The pouch designated generally by 13 preferably has sides 14 and 15 sealed at all edges and open only at a stoma opening 16 concentric with the opening 12 in the gasket. These openings will bemade in different sizes depending on the size of the stoma 17, as is customary in this art. If the pouch is made of polyethylene plastic film then the gasket could be coated with polyethylene plastic film and bonded to the pouch with conventional heat sealing means. The pouch could also be made of vinylidine chloride film (Saran) and the cardboard gasket stock would be coated with Saran to enable the gasket to be bonded with conventional heat sealing means. An uncoated gasket could be used and adhered to the pouch using commercially available adhesives. If the gasket is of cardboard and it is precoated with a plastic, it does increase its resistance to breakdown due to the water in the discharge from the stoma. The attachment of the gasket to the pouch is limited to an area adjacent to the central opening 12 so that the peripheral area of the gasket is unattached to the pouch and is provided with a series of slits or holes 18 which provide openings for the reception of hook ends 19 of a belt 20 shown only in FIG. 10. The belt holds the pouch and gasket in position on the patient. The belt may be of conventional elastic or webbing. The metal or plastic hook ends are attached to the ends of the belt. The hook ends 19 are adapted to be entered into any of the slits or holes 18 in the gasket. The holes 18 may be fully pouched out or only partially as slits so that there is no objectionable scrap material during manufacture. In use, the belt hooks are inserted into diametrically opposed holes in the gasket and the belt encircles the waist of the patient to hold the pouch in the position shown in FIG. I.

It will now be noted that the pouch may be positioned at different angular positions on the patient as by inserting the belt hooks in such openings 18 as to let the pouch hang vertically either when the patient is standing as shown in FIG. 1 or when the patient is in bed as shown in FIG. 3. Thus the discharge from the stoma falls into the bottom of the pouch. This avoids the fecal discharge from escaping through the stoma opening in the pouch and spilling from the pouch when the patient is lying in bed and the pouch is positioned as shown in FIG. 2.

The foregoing pouch is designed to be discarded in its entirety after a single use. The belt is washed and reused.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, these illustrate a reinforcing channeled gasket designated 21 generally similar to the gasket 11 but channel shaped to receive the gasket 11 as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. This channeled gasket is not discarded after use of the pouch but it is washed and used many times. It is preferably made of a strong material such as metal, rubber, plastics, etc., so as to resist the belt tension which may be strong enough to tear the cardboard gasket 11. The reinforced channeled gasket has two diametrically opposed holes 22 and 23 which will match or register with any two holes or slits on a diameter line of the cardboard gasket. The hooks l9 pass through the openings 22 and 23 of the channeled gasket as well as the selected holes or slits in the cardboard gasket, thereby holding the entire assembly in position on the patient as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. It will be apparent that the pouch 13 may be positioned at any angular location before inserting the belt hooks, as for example, from a position shown in FIG. l to that shown in FIG. 3 the channel gasket 21 being free to move around the enclosed gasket 11 until the openings 22 and 23 register with holes or slits in the gasket Ill. The channeled gasket 21 also covers the extra holes or slits in the gasket lll that are not used by the belt hooks 19, thereby preventing the skin of the patient from being irritated by the edges of open holes or slits.

It will now be observed that the rounded lips 24 on the inner circumference of the gasket 21 and the rounded lips 25 on the outer circumference provide surfaces which have a smooth and non-irritating engagement with the skin of the patient. Particularly, the channel gasket encases the gasket ll and prevents the edges of the cardboard gasket from engaging and irritating the skin. Thus the cardboard gasket is completely encased within the channel gasket so that the skin of the patient will not be irritated. Also, as a further means of encasing the cardboard gasket, l form the inner and outer flanges of the channel gasket to be inclined inwardly as shown at 26 so as to provide a restricted or smaller opening to receive the gasket 11. The cardboard material of the gasket 11 permits it to be pressed or snapped into the opening between the turned-in flanges 26. This prevents the gasket from being accidentally or in any way displaced from its position within the channeled gasket.

It will be noted that in inventions in this art the drawings are invariably diagramatic, particularly as in FIGS. 9 and where sizes, shapes and dimensions of parts cannot be shown in true detail. It will be understood, therefore, that in the practice of this invention, changes may be made in details and embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A pouch for ostomy patients, the pouch having a stoma-receiving opening in one side, a gasket having a central opening adapted to be applied to the pouch with its opening in registration with the stoma-receiving opening, the gasket affixed to the pouch in a limited area surrounding the center opening in the gasket and allowing a peripheral area of the gasket free for attachment of a belt hook thereto, a belt for holding the pouch on the patient, the belt having ends attached to said peripheral area of the gasket in a manner to permit setting of the pouch at different angular positions on the body, as from a vertically extending position when the patient is standing to a vertically extending position 4 when the patient is lying in bed, the periferal area of the gasket provided with a series of circumferentially spaced openings, each belt end having a hook for engagement in selected openings to hold the pouch in a desired position on the patient, the gasket being of cardboard and including a channel shaped gasket of stronger material arranged with the cardboard gasket in the channel, the channel gasket having diametrically opposed openings adapted to register with selected openings in the cardboard gasket by rotative positioning of the channel gasket on the cardboard gasket, whereby the belt hooks may be inserted in said registering openings to hold the pouch on the patient.

2. A pouch for ostomy patients comprising a pouch closed except for a stoma-receiving opening in its upper portion, a gasket having a central opening attached to the pouch with its opening in registration with the stoma-receiving opening in the pouch, a belt connected to the gasket adapted to embrace the patients body for holding the pouch in position thereon, the connection between the belt and the gasket designed to permit angular setting of the pouch with respect to the patients body from a vertically extending position when the patient is standing to a vertically extending position when the patient is lying in a bed, and a channel shaped gasket arranged with the first mentioned gasket in the channel, the channel gasket adapted for rotative movement about the first mentioned gasket, the belt having hook ends adapted for connection to both gaskets with the channel gasket at a selected rotative position with respect to the first mentioned gasket.

3. A pouch for ostomy patients comprising a pouch closed except for a stoma-receiving opening in its upper portion, a gasket having a central opening attached to the pouch with its opening in registration with the stoma-receiving opening in the pouch, a belt connected to the gasket adapted to embrace the patients body for holding the pouch in position thereon, the connection between the belt and the gasket designed to permit angular setting of the pouch with respect to the patients body from a vertically extending position when the patient is standing to a vertically extending position when the patient is lying in bed, and a channel shaped gasket arranged with the first mentioned gasket in the channel, the channel gasket adapted for rotative movement about the first mentioned gasket, the belt having hook ends adapted for connection to both gaskets with the channel gasket at a selected rotative position with respect to the first mentioned gasket, the channel gasket having rounded lips at its inner annular edge and rounded lips at its peripheral annular edge for engagement with the skin on the abdomen of the patient. 

1. A pouch for ostomy patients, the pouch having a stomareceiving opening in one side, a gasket having a central opening adapted to be applied to the pouch with its opening in registration with the stoma-receiving opening, the gasket affixed to the pouch in a limited area surrounding the center opening in the gasket and allowing a peripheral area of the gasket free for attachment of a belt hook thereto, a belt for holding the pouch on the patient, the belt having ends attached to said peripheral area of the gasket in a manner to permit setting of the pouch at different angular positions on the body, as from a vertically extending position when the patient is standing to a vertically extending position when the patient is lying in bed, the periferal area of the gasket provided with a series of circumferentially spaced openings, each belt end having a hook for engagement in selected openings to hold the pouch in a desired position on the patient, the gasket being of cardboard and including a channel shaped gasket of stronger material arranged with the cardboard gasket in the channel, the channel gasket having diametrically opposed openings adapted to register with selected openings in the cardboard gasket by rotative positioning of the channel gasket on the cardboard gasket, whereby the belt hooks may be inserted in said registering openings to hold the pouch on the patient.
 2. A pouch for ostomy patients comprising a pouch closed except for a stoma-receiving opening in its upper portion, a gasket having a central opening attached to the pouch with its opening in registration with the stoma-receiving opening in the pouch, a belt connected to the gasket adapted to embrace the patient''s body for holding the pouch in position thereon, the connection between the belt and the gasket designed to permit angular setting of the pouch with respect to the patient''s body from a vertically extending position when the patient is standing to a vertically extending position when The patient is lying in a bed, and a channel shaped gasket arranged with the first mentioned gasket in the channel, the channel gasket adapted for rotative movement about the first mentioned gasket, the belt having hook ends adapted for connection to both gaskets with the channel gasket at a selected rotative position with respect to the first mentioned gasket.
 3. A pouch for ostomy patients comprising a pouch closed except for a stoma-receiving opening in its upper portion, a gasket having a central opening attached to the pouch with its opening in registration with the stoma-receiving opening in the pouch, a belt connected to the gasket adapted to embrace the patient''s body for holding the pouch in position thereon, the connection between the belt and the gasket designed to permit angular setting of the pouch with respect to the patient''s body from a vertically extending position when the patient is standing to a vertically extending position when the patient is lying in bed, and a channel shaped gasket arranged with the first mentioned gasket in the channel, the channel gasket adapted for rotative movement about the first mentioned gasket, the belt having hook ends adapted for connection to both gaskets with the channel gasket at a selected rotative position with respect to the first mentioned gasket, the channel gasket having rounded lips at its inner annular edge and rounded lips at its peripheral annular edge for engagement with the skin on the abdomen of the patient. 